


The Art of Moving On

by ciateau



Category: Start-Up (Korea TV)
Genre: Canon Related, F/M, First Love, Heartbreak, Missing Scene, Points of View, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:35:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27941621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ciateau/pseuds/ciateau
Summary: He did not know it then. Or maybe he did but chose not to dwell on it. It was because he had hope… he hoped for something that would never really come to be.
Relationships: Han Ji Pyeong/Seo Dal Mi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 30





	The Art of Moving On

They would often not speak of the past and simply chose to revel in the present simply because it was less painful. And even though their relationship had somehow progressed during those three years, he knew that the hurt and sadness never left her. He could always see it in her eyes whenever she smiled.

He promised himself that he would wait for her to be healed and then he would pursue her.

And slowly… so slowly, like the early morning sun signaling for a new day, he saw glimpses of light in her. The woman with the kind face and a bright smile was coming back. Relief… and a different kind of joy made its way into his heart as he gazed upon that first sincere smile since she had started her own company. He had only meant to take her home after the both them pulled an all-nighter with their respective jobs. She drifted to sleep as soon as she sat on his car’s passenger seat. Not wanting to wake her, he stopped the car somewhere and waited for the sun to rise. His reward when he woke her up was her lovely smile that finally reached her eyes. She thanked him as the sun painted the sky gold and illuminated the warmth he was feeling at that moment.

Right then and there, he vowed he would do anything to always see her smile.

Spending time with her made him realize a lot of things. He noticed the way she would sometimes hum out of the blue when she was scribbling on her notebook. How she would tie her hair up with a scrunchie whenever she decided to do something important. How her voice became even more confident when she was speaking with other people. How truly content she was in learning the intricacies of business. And then, surprising as it was, he became involved in her source of happiness. How her smile was different when it was directed only at him. How her eyes always searched his whenever they were surrounded by people—like she was her anchor in a strange foreign land filled with businessmen and investors. Those moments held too much meaning to him even if he tried to deny it. One thing was for sure, he had mentored her well before she branched on her own.

He soon realized he wanted to spend every waking moment of his life with her.

For he had learned to love her during those simple and quiet times.

He did not know it then. Or maybe he did but chose not to dwell on it. It was because he had hope… he hoped for something that would never really come to be. For some inexplicable reason, something was telling him not to give up. Was it God or fate or simply his own selfishness telling him that one day, she would come to see him in a different light? That he was a man who had grown very fond of her and would want her to be by his side forever? That she was the one who brought such warmth and happiness in his otherwise lonely life? He was always cautiously treading on a fine line when it came to her. He did not want her to feel he was forcing his feelings on her when she just recovered from her own heartbreak. And so he remained her mentor (and occasional house guest during holidays) until he was sure she was ready to receive his love… not as a mentor but as a man who had fallen in love with her.

_Fool._  
_You are a fucking fool._

He did not know the day would come so fast. It seemed as if it was only yesterday that he mustered all his courage to accept his defeat and walk away. There were so many things he had wanted to tell her on that rooftop half a year ago. Yet, he did not want to burden her anymore with his feelings. All the words that played in his mind were rendered useless as he stared at her eyes brimming with tears. He did not want her pity and he certainly did not want to hear another apology from her. There was nothing to apologize for.

_The heart chooses what it wants._

And yet he always chose to be selfless knowing how much this would affect him. What could he give to someone whose heart clearly wanted another?

He lightly rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck from side to side—the discomfort since before he arrived was growing worse. Grandma was sitting just in front of him with her daughter-in-law and the older granddaughter. He had thought about innumerable excuses to avoid going but one request from Grandma and he found himself standing inside a chapel with other guests. As much as he hated where he was at that moment, there really was nothing he couldn’t do for the person who had always been there for him. Grandma was the only one he got and it already felt like he would lose her as well. 

There was a moment of silence before an instrumental music started playing in the background. The wooden doors opened and every head turned to look at the bride. She was wearing a simple white dress yet there was nothing more beautiful than the lovely smile gracing her features. Bathed in the soft sunlight, she walked in slow, tentative steps towards the altar. A vision suddenly came across his head of him standing on the other side and he quickly dispelled the thought—feeling pathetic for even imagining it.

_I am not the Nam Dosan from the letters._

He did not plan to say those words because he knew it was untrue.

_I wrote those letters because I found someone who understood loneliness. It was your letters that comforted me when I struggled to survive and make a path for myself. Those memories remained as beautiful yet painful memories as the years went by. And I never thought that fate would let me meet you once more. I should have been honest from the beginning but I was a coward filled with guilt for the things I had accused your grandmother of. I owe my present to her warmth and kindness and I will forever be indebted to her._

_You are impressive, Seo Dalmi. I admire your resilience and tenacity… I even like your stubbornness. And you are right… I have come to like how nosy you are. No one has dared to knock some sense into me until you. Aside from your grandmother, you are the only person who has shown me true kindness. You understood me when I doubted and hated myself. And I thank you for that. I thank you for I found myself smiling and looking forward to things I could never even think of in the past._

_If I were given a chance to undo my mistakes, I would never deny myself of a chance to be with you. The countless hesitations that I had led us to this moment in time. And if only I had been courageous like you—going after what I want without any fear and second-guessing, things might have been different. Regrets always come too late. But meeting you is something that I will never regret._

_I wish you happiness, Seo Dalmi._

Those words were never spoken out loud but if he could’ve written her one last letter, he would write the same words and sign it with his own name.

_Your friend,_  
_Han Jipyeong_

Soon enough, vows were exchanged and loud cheers erupted inside the chapel as the happy couple kissed. He found his hands clapping along with the others—unable to tear his gaze away from the perfect scene in front of him. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her beaming face as the cheering seemed to fade into the background. Seo Dalmi’s bright eyes never left those of the man standing beside her.

And just like that, she was married, a wife, and Nam Dosan’s.

It took him some time to move on. Three years of spending his life with only one woman in his heart weren’t easy to forget. Add to that the memories of that one year they shared through those letters… it was difficult but he didn’t wallow in despair and succumbed into self-pity. He was smarter than that. He didn’t solely focus on being Cheongmyeong Company’s investor since that would only cause unnecessary conflicts with him being a constant figure in their lives. Delving into the cause he personally invested in made him busier yet his life had never achieved this level of fulfillment until he saw the smiling faces of young orphans finally securing a future for themselves.

“I found out something interesting, Director Han.” Hong Jiseok’s familiar voice spoke from beside him. He had known the younger man for almost a year yet he still always found himself amused whenever he heard him speak. It was like Yeongsil became a human and could finally speak with cadence.

Jipyeong did not turn his gaze away from the road. “What is it?”

“I know someone who happens to know you from before.” Jiseok’s voice became livelier as he sat straighter.

“Before?”

“From your years at the orphanage.”

That made Jipyeong finally look at him.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been gossiping about me.”

A hearty laughter from the younger man as he shook his head, “No. Gaeul-noona is not an investor like you but she does help a kid or two from time to time. I met with her the other day and I mentioned your name as our investor and she asked me if you were the same Han Jipyeong from the orphanage in Seonju.”

_Gaeul…_

He racked his brain to remember a kid named Gaeul. During his years in the orphanage, he did not have a lot of friends—preferring to pour over books instead of playing outside with others. The orphanage had kids of all ages and Jipyeong was sure he had only met a handful of people named Gaeul in his lifetime.

And then an image of a girl who was years younger than him came to mind. It was of a kid who used to sit beside him in the library and ask about the most random things—thinking of him as an older and wiser person who could philosophize about life as well as answer some math equations. He remembered that she was new at the orphanage. Her incessant questions only lasted for a few months before he was kicked out upon reaching the age limit.

“Lee Gaeul?” His voice was uncharacteristically high.

“Yes. Lee Gaeul.” Jiseok chuckled. “I can’t believe you two know each other. Were you close?”

Jipyeong released a puff of air at this revelation. “We weren’t. She’s a lot younger than me.”

“She’s a painter now. She frequently holds art lessons at the orphanage.”

He could only imagine. The kid really hated math and preferred doodling on her notebook beside him instead of listening to his instructions.

Upon arriving at the orphanage, the two men gathered the boxes from the car and a staff and some of the kids came greeting them from the hallway. Jiseok was a natural with kids as he quickly engaged them with the stuff they bought. Meanwhile, Jipyeong simply stood there while noticing the surroundings. It had been almost two decades since he last set foot in this place. There had been a lot of changes since then. The hallway he used to walk through every single day looked brighter and cleaner than the one he remembered all those years ago.

“ _Ahjussi…_ ” A little girl calling him that startled him. Was he already too old? “What’s inside that box?”

“Oh. Art supplies. I heard you need more of them.” Jipyeong bent down and opened the box to show the girl a bunch of poster paints. “There’s another box filled with brushes and other supplies.”

The girl giggled. “Teacher would love these.”

“I hope so.” Jipyeong smiled back and the girl suddenly got shy.

“You can put the boxes in the art room.” She quickly ran away and Jipyeong was left confused. He looked at Jiseok who was still busy showing the kids the other stuff they bought before asking the staff where the art room was.

He walked carrying two boxes in his arms as memories of the old days came flashing in his mind. The room he just passed by used to be where the younger orphans played for a few hours with toys. It became a study area filled with desks and computers. The walls of the hallway which used to be dull were decorated with various artworks framed neatly. The colorful pieces made by the children added character to the otherwise clinical-looking hallway. He arrived at the last open door on the right and the strong smell of paint instantly attacked his nose.

As soon as he placed the boxes on the nearest table, he saw someone quietly painting on a wall. The woman had her back to him and was stepping on a metal ladder—too focused on moving her brush in excruciating detail as she painted a part of what seemed to be a sunflower. There was something fascinating about watching an artist do their work and he couldn't help but silently appreciate the process from where he stood. 

The said artist bent down to fill her palette and almost fell off the ladder in shock—eyes briefly glancing at him.

"You're here." She sighed as she steadied herself and not-so-gently pulled the earphones from their place. "Jiseok said you'd be bringing art supplies for the kids."

There was a moment of confusion as to why the woman was speaking to him that way—albeit formally... as if she had known him for a long time. And that was when he realized this was the same Lee Gaeul that Jiseok had been talking about.

Upon that revelation, Jipyeong walked towards her— unsure of what to do next but something was telling him not to make a fool of himself. From this much closer distance, he could see the paint splatters on her small and... _pretty_ face. Her brown hair was slightly sticking to the edges of her face as her ponytail was about to fall off. The messy hair did nothing to detract his eyes away from her appearance. He tried to remember the face of that young girl he used to know and came to an understanding that she was undeniably stunning.

Wiping a hand on a towel, she offered it to him and smiled, "It's nice to see you again, Han Jipyeong." 

They shook hands and Jipyeong noted how small her hand was compared to his.

"Gaeul-ah." 

Her smile widened at the way he addressed her. 

"So you remember me." She chuckled and then started to clean up. Jipyeong instinctively helped her gather some of the tools she had been using.

"How could I not? My peaceful library hours were ruined by you." 

The instant laughter that he got from that made him smile. Her eyes fixed on his for a moment and said in a wistful tone, "You might've matured physically but those dimples will always remain cute."

And that only made his smile widen.

"Noona, is dinner still on?" Jiseok suddenly appeared at the doorway with a strange-looking grin on his face.

"Of course! You know I've been looking forward to this day." 

Jipyeong perked up at that information. He thought only Jiseok and him would try the ribeye steak restaurant in the area later— as per the younger's recommendation. 

"Sorry I can't go anymore." The pout didn't seem convincing. "My girlfriend just called me and I have to go back to Seoul now."

As soon as he said that, Jipyeong met Gaeul's eyes and she was sporting the same amused expression as his. He shrugged as if saying, _"I know what that punk is doing but it's okay."_ and she understood.

Her smile appeared once more— this time softer, warmer, and... _hopeful_.

"I'll treat you to dinner, oppa."

With the late autumn afternoon sunlight spilling through the glass windows, Jipyeong looked at her, _really_ looked at her and felt something strange but familiar. She was just standing there and his heart gave a jolt as he absorbed the beauty right in front of him... and _thump, thump, thump..._

"We have a lot of catching up to do." He replied with the sincerest smile— something that he had not used in quite a long time.

He had long realized that when a heart is broken, it never truly heals. The part that was wounded stays in a small corner of a person’s heart—it stays there like a scar, a burned memory, a treasured token from the past. And it was all up to him to fill the remaining parts of his heart with as much love and happiness and contentment he could find. 

Something was stirring inside him and he welcomed it with open arms.

_No hesitations this time._

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this right after the final episode. I can't believe that Jipyeong's story felt incomplete. I wished the story went differently because I and so many others were rooting for Jipyeong's happiness. He deserves a happy ending.
> 
> Kim Seonho and Han Sohee were in 100 Days My Prince together and her visual fits the person I was imagining while writing.


End file.
